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Planning commission recommends removing parking restriction in Springdale special flood hazard area
Summary
At its March 19 meeting, the Springdale Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend removing a code provision that barred parking spaces inside or within 10 feet of the town's Special Flood Hazard Area, saying the rule had produced an unintended result of placing homes in lower, flood-prone ground.
SPRINGDALE, Mar. 19 — The Springdale Planning Commission on Wednesday recommended approval of a proposed change to the town code that would remove a prohibition on placing parking spaces inside or within 10 feet of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
Town staff presented the amendment during a public hearing that drew no public comment. The commission voted 5-0 to forward the recommended code change after a brief deliberation that focused on an unintended consequence staff said the current rule had produced: developers locating parking on higher ground while siting homes in lower, more flood-prone portions of lots.
Nong, a town staff member, told commissioners that the February work session had examined chapter 10-23 and, in particular, the code language that bars parking spaces inside or within 10 feet of the SFHA. "The houses are more vulnerable, and the people's homes are more vulnerable than parking spaces, I think," Nong said, summarizing staff's rationale for the draft revision. The staff report included background on how the town organizes emergency management but said the detail was not directly part of the hearing.
In discussion, commissioners agreed the change resolved a perverse incentive created by the current code: because buildings may be permitted in the SFHA subject to design standards, restricting parking to areas outside the SFHA can push homes into lower elevations where flood risk is higher. The motion recommending approval stated several findings, including that the SFHA (commonly called the "hundred-year floodplain") has an estimated 1% annual chance of flooding and that the SFHA is not a no-build zone under the National Flood Insurance Program. The motion specifically cited the existing provision in section 10-13(a) that prohibited parking inside or within 10 feet of the SFHA and said the proposed deletion of that language would remove the discrepancy.
Paul Zimmerman moved the recommendation and Jennifer McCullough seconded. The five voting commissioners — Jennifer McCullough, Tom Keniston, Paul Zimmerman, Melissa Laborde and Rich Swanson — voted unanimously to approve the recommendation. There was no public testimony at the hearing.
After the vote the commission moved on to a brief training session on the components of effective motions and to routine consent items. The commission approved minutes from the Feb. 19 meeting and adjourned.
Votes at a glance
- Recommendation to approve proposed changes to chapter 10-23 of the Springdale Town Code (remove restriction on parking spaces inside or within 10 feet of the SFHA). Motion (read into record): "I move that the planning commission to recommend approval of the proposed changes to chapter 10 dash 23 of the Springdale Town Code regarding parking spaces in the special flood hazard area as discussed in the commission's meeting on 03/19/2025..." Mover: Paul Zimmerman. Second: Jennifer McCullough. Vote: Jennifer McCullough (aye), Tom Keniston (aye), Paul Zimmerman (aye), Melissa Laborde (aye), Rich Swanson (aye). Outcome: passed (5-0). Notes: motion included findings that SFHA carries an approximate 1% annual flood risk and that the SFHA is not a no-build zone; proposed change removes the code discrepancy described above.
- Motion to go into public hearing (to hear the ordinance revision). Mover: Paul Zimmerman. Second: Jennifer McCullough. Vote: 5-0 in favor. Outcome: approved.
- Motion to close public hearing. Mover: Paul Zimmerman. Second: Melissa Laborde. Vote: 5-0 in favor. Outcome: approved.
- Consent: approval of minutes from 02/19/2025. Mover: Rich Swanson. Second: Melissa Laborde. Vote: 5-0 in favor. Outcome: approved.
- Motion to adjourn. Mover: Paul Zimmerman. Second: Jennifer McCullough. Vote: 5-0 in favor. Outcome: approved.
Context and next steps
The planning commission framed the change as a correction to an internal inconsistency in the town code. The transcript does not specify the subsequent legislative steps or timetable; the commission's action at this meeting was a recommendation. The staff report noted the town's emergency management structure but did not tie any immediate operational changes to the code amendment.
